SOCIO-ECONOMIC SITUATION IN THE FIRST 5 MONTHS OF 2017

Agriculture, forestry and fisheries

Agriculture

Up to May 15, the country has cultivated 3,075.8 thousand hectares of winter-spring paddy, equaling 99.8% of last years same period, of which the northern provinces have finished cultivating with an area of ​​1,143, 9 thousand ha, equaling 98.9%; Southern provinces reached 1,931.9 thousand ha, equaling 100.3%.

Preliminary estimation, winter rice yield of the northern provinces reached 62.3 quintals / ha, reduced by 0.5 quintals / ha compared with the previous winter-spring crop; Output was estimated at 7.12 million tonnes, down 134.5 thousand tonnes. In the south, in the middle of May, localities harvested 1,902.7 thousand ha of spring paddy, accounting for 98.5% of the breeding area and equaling 101.8% of the same period last year. Along with harvesting winter-spring rice, the southern provinces sowed 1,169.3 thousand ha of summer-autumn rice, equaling 114.4% of the same period in 2016.

As of mid-May, the country cultivated 607.1 thousand ha of maize, equaling 91.3% over the same period last year; 78.6 thousand ha of sweet potato, equaling 96.6%; 142.2 thousand ha of peanuts, equaling 97.6%; 40.6 thousand ha of soybeans, equaling 96.4%; 610.2 thousand ha of vegetables, beans, equaling 103.1%.

Husbandry of buffaloes, cows and poultry has not changed much. Buffalo nationwide in January was estimated to decrease by 0.5% over the same period last year; Cattle increased by 1.9%; Poultry up 2.8%. Nationwide pigs in the month are estimated to fall 2% over the same period in 2016.

+ Agricultural production as of May 15, 2017
 
Forestry

In the first 5 months, the area of ​​concentrated forestation was estimated at 77.1 thousand ha, up 5.8% over the same period last year; The number of scattered planted trees was 41.1 million, rising by 1.7%; Timber production reached 3782 thousand m3, up 6.8%; The output of firewood was 11.2 million m3, up 0.9%.

In the first five months of the year, the damaged forest area was 747 hectares, down 66.9% against the same period last year, of which the burned forest area was 228 hectares, down 87.8%; The area of ​​forest cleared was 519 ha, up 32.4%.

Fisheries

Generally for the first five months, aquaculture output was estimated at 2,600.2 thousand tons, up 3.7% over the same period last year, of which aquaculture output reached 1,243.1 thousand tons, up 3, first%; The yield of marine products was 1,357.1 thousand tons, increasing by 4.3% (sea product output was 1,285.6 thousand tons, increasing by 4.4%).

Industry

Generally for the first five months of the year, industrial production index increased 5.7% over the same period last year, although still lower than the 7.4% growth of the same period in 2016[1], but higher than the increase of 5, 2% of the first four months of this year.

For the first four months of the year, the consumption index of manufacturing rose 8.1% over the same period last year (9.3% in the same period of 2016). Inventory of the whole processing industry in the first 4 months of 2017 is 71.6%.

The number of employees working in industrial enterprises as of 1 May 2017 increased by 2.4% over the same period last year, of which state-owned enterprises decreased by 1.1%; Non-state enterprises decreased by 0.6%; Foreign direct investment enterprises increased by 4.8%.

+ Industrial production index
+ Main industrial products
+ Consumption and inventory index of processing , manufacturing industry
+ Employer index of industrial enterprises
 
Business registration status [2]

In the first five months of the year, there were 50,534 registered enterprises with a total registered capital of VND485.6 trillion, up 12.9% in enterprises and 39% in registered capital over the same period of 2016[3]; The average registered capital of newly established enterprises was VND9.6 billion, up 23%. Taking into account the 710.8 trillion additional registered capital of enterprises changing capital increase, the total registered capital added to the economy in the first 5 months of 2017 is 1,196.4 trillion. In addition, there were 13,458 businesses returning to operation, up 3.5% over the same period last year, bringing the total number of newly registered enterprises and returning to operation in the first five months of the year to nearly 64,000 businesses. The total number of registered employees of newly established enterprises in 5 months was 521.7 thousand, decreased 1.9% over the same period in 2016.

The number of enterprises completing dissolution procedures in the first five months of 2017 was 4,685, an increase of 0.9% over the same period last year (19.5% increase in the same period of 2016), of which 4,325 enterprises with the capital of under 10 billion, accounting for 92.3%. By type of enterprise, there are 1,888 one-member limited liability companies (accounting for 40.3%) out of the total number of enterprises completing dissolution procedures; 1,362 limited liability companies with 2 members (accounting for 29.1%); 832 private enterprises (accounting for 17.7%) and 603 joint stock companies (accounting for 12.9%)..

The number of suspended enterprises in the first five months of the year was 32,148, up 12.5% ​​against the same period last year, including 12,884 enterprises registered for temporary termination of business, up 19.4% and 19,264 enterprises stopped operation without registration or waiting for dissolution, up 8.3%.

Of the total number of enterprises registered for temporary suspension of business, there are 5,312 one-member limited liability companies (accounting for 41.2%); 4,135 limited liability companies with 2 members (accounting for 32.1%); 2,168 joint stock companies (accounting for 16.8%); 1,267 private enterprises (accounting for 9.9%) and 2 partnerships. For businesses suspending unregistered or awaiting dissolution, there are 8,314 limited liability companies with one member (accounting for 43.2%); 5,660 limited liability companies with 2 members (accounting for 29.4%); 3,920 joint stock companies (accounting for 20.3%) and 1,370 private enterprises (accounting for 7.1%).

+ Number of enterprises returning to their activities by activity sector
+ Number of businesses temporarily suspended by activity sector
 
Investment

In the first five months of the year, investment capital from state budget was 88.8 trillion VND, equaling 30.6% of the yearly plan and increasing 6% over the same period of 2016, including: Management managed VND 19.5 trillion, equaling 29% of the yearly plan and increasing 5.9% over the same period last year. Local managed capital reached 69.3 trillion VND, equaling 31.1% of the annual plan and increasing 6.1% over the same period in 2016. Of which, state budget funds reached VND 48.5 trillion, equaling 29.5% and up 4%; State budget capital reached VND17.3 trillion, equaling 34.4% and increasing by 12.1%; State budget capital at commune level reached VND 3.5 trillion, equaling 41.9% and increasing by 8.1% respectively.

Foreign direct investment from the beginning of the year to May 20, 2017 attracted 939 new licensed projects with registered capital of US $ 5,595.4 million, up 3.5% in number of projects and 26.1% of registered capital over the same period of 2016. In addition, there are 437 projects have been licensed from the previous year registered to adjust the capital investment with additional capital reached US$ 4,742.9 million.

In the first five months of 2017, 2,061 shares of foreign investors were invested and $ 1.792 billion was contributed by foreign investors. Thus, the total registered capital of new projects, supplementary capital and investment in the form of capital contribution, purchase of shares in the first 5 months reached 12,130.3 million USD, up 10.4% compared with in the same period last year. Foreign direct investment in the five months was estimated at $ 6.2 billion, up 6% over the same period in 2016.

In the first five months of the year, there were 51 provinces and cities directly under the Central Government which had new licensed foreign direct investment projects in 56 countries and territories.

+ Investment capital from the state budget
+ Foreign direct investment is licensed from 1/1 - 20/5/2017

State budget revenues and expenditures

Total state budget revenue from the beginning of the year to 15/5/2017 was estimated at 416.7 trillion VND, equaling 34.4% of the yearly estimate, of which domestic revenue was VND 334.9 trillion, equaling 33 ,8%; Revenue from crude oil was 16.6 trillion dongs, equaling 43.4%; The budget revenue from import and export activities was 65.1 trillion dongs, equaling 36.2%. In domestic revenue, land use fees reached 36.7 trillion dong, equaling 57.7% of the yearly estimate; Personal income tax revenue was 33.9 trillion dong, equaling 41.9%; Public non-state tax collection, trade and services: VND 69.5 trillion, equaling 35.8%; Income from foreign invested enterprises (excluding crude oil) was 64.3 trillion dong, equaling 32%; Environmental protection tax collected 12.7 trillion dong, equaling 28%; Revenue from state owned sector was VND69.2 trillion, equaling 24.1%.

Total state budget expenditure from the beginning of the year to 15/5/2017 was estimated at VND438.5 trillion, equaling 31.5% of the yearly estimate, of which regular expenditures were VND323.8 trillion, equal to VND332.8 trillion 36.1%; Interest repayment VND41.5 trillion, equaling 42%; Only new development investment reached 72.4 trillion dong, equaling 20.3% of the yearly estimate. Loan payments from the beginning of the year to 15/5/2017 are estimated at 77.7 trillion dong, equaling 47.4% of the yearly estimate.

Trade, price, transport and tourism

Retailing of goods and sales of consumer services

Generally for the first five months of this year, total retail sales of goods and services were estimated at VND1, 600.8 trillion, up 10.2% over the same period last year, if the price factor were excluded it rose 7,4% (it rose 7.9% in 2016’ same period). By sector, retail sales of goods in 5 months were estimated at VND1,203.1 trillion, accounting for 75.2% of the total and up 10.4% over the same period last year. Revenue from accommodation and catering services in the first 5 months of this year was estimated at VND 196.2 trillion, accounting for 12.2% of the total and increasing 11.3% over the same period last year. Revenue from tourism was estimated at 13 trillion dong, accounting for 0.8 percent of the total and rising 6.2 percent over the same period last year. Revenue from other services in the first 5 months was estimated at 188.5 trillion dong, accounting for 11.8% of the total and 8.2% over the same period of 2016.

+ Total retail sales and consumer service revenue
 
Exports and imports

For the first five months of this year, export turnover was estimated at $ 79.3 billion, up 17.4% over the same period last year, of which the domestic economic sector gained $ 22.1 billion, 13,6%; Foreign-invested sector (including crude oil) reached $ 57.2 billion, an increase of 19%. Reguarding export market in the first five months of the year, the United States remains the largest export market of Vietnam with turnover reached US$ 16 billion, up 9.9% over the same period last year; Followed by the EU with $ 14.6 billion, up 9.5%; China reached $ 10.5 billion, up 40.3%; ASEAN reached US$ 8.6 billion, up 26%; Japan reached $ 6.4 billion, up 16.6%; South Korea reached $ 5.7 billion, up 34.4%.

In the first five months of this year, import turnover was estimated at $ 82.0 billion, up 23.9% over the same period last year, of which the domestic economic sector gained $ 32.4 billion, an increase 18.9%; Foreign invested sector reached $ 49.6 billion, up 27.5%. Regarding import market in the first 5 months, China remains the largest import market of Vietnam with the turnover of 22 billion USD, up 15.7% over the same period of 2016; Followed by South Korea with USD18.6 billion, up 51.9%; ASEAN reached $ 11.1 billion, up 16.6%; Japan reached $ 6.5 billion, up 15.5%; EU reached $ 4.6 billion, up 13.9%; The United States reached $ 3.8 billion, up 22%.

In the first five months of 2017, the trade deficit was over USD 2.7 billion, equivalent to 3.4% of the total export turnover, of which the domestic economic sector’s trade deficit was USD 10.36 billion; The foreign invested sector (including crude oil) has a trade surplus of $ 7.65 billion.

+ Exports
+ Imports

Consumer price index, gold price index and US dollar price index

Average CPI in the first 5 months of 2017 increased by 4.47% over the same period of 2016[4]. Consumer price index in May 2017 increased 0.37% compared to December 2016 and increased 3.19% over the same period last year.

Core inflation in May 2017 increased 0.08% over the previous month and increased 1.33% over the same period last year. The average inflation in the first five months of 2017 increased by 1.56% over the same period of 2016.

Gold price index in May 2017 decreased 0.10% compared with last month; Up 2.91% over December 2016 and up 4.12% over the same period last year. USD price index in May 2017 decreased by 0.03% over the previous month; Decreased 0.05% compared to December 2016 and increased 1.66% over the same period in 2016.

+ Consumer price index, gold price index, US dollar price index and core inflation index, May 2017

Carriage of passengers and cargo

Passenger carriage in May was estimated at 335.5 million passengers, up 10% over the same period last year and 15.2 billion passengers-kilometers, up 9.1%. In the first five months of the year, passenger transportation reached 1,638.5 million passengers, up 8.9% over the same period last year and 74.3 billion passengers-kilometers, up 8.2%, of which passenger transport by road reached 1,543.6 million passengers, up 9.2% and 50.4 billion passengers-kilometers, up 7.7%; by Sea: 2.7 million passengers, up 8% and 138.7 million passengers-kilometers, up 7.5%. By air: 18 million passengers, up 10.7% and 21 billion passengers-kilometers, up 10.2%. By rail: 3.9 million passengers, down 6.3% and 1.5 billion passengers-kilometers, up 0.2% over the same period in 2016.

Cargo transport in May was estimated at 118.5 million tons, up 8% over the same period last year and 22 billion tons.km, up 6.3%. For the whole 5 months, cargo transport reached 586.2 million tons, up 8.9% over the same period last year and 108.4 billion tons.km, up 5.6%, of which domestic transport reached 572 5 million tons, up 9.1% and 53.5 billion tons-kilometers, up 10.1%; Offshore transport reached 13.7 million tonnes, rising by 0.2% and 54.9 billion tons-kilometers, up 1.5%. According to the transport industry, the road reached 455.6 million tons, up 9.3% over the same period last year and 28.4 billion tons.km, up 11.3%; Riverway reached 100.1 million tons, up 6.9% and 21.3 billion tons-kilometers, up 6.4%; Sea transport reached 28.1 million tons, up 9.7% and 57 billion tons-kilometers, up 2.6%; The railway reached 2.3 million tons, up 4.2% and 1.4 billion tons-a-kilometer, up 8%.

+ Passenger and cargo transportation
 
International visitors to Vietnam

In the first five months of this year, international visitors to Vietnam were estimated at 5,257 thousand, increasing by 29.6% over the same period last year, of which arrivals by air reached 4,359 thousand, increasing by 32, 4%; By land reached 730.2 thousand people, up 12.7%; Arriving by sea reached 167.8 thousand, increasing by 43.9%.

In the first five months of this year, visitors from Asia reached 3,826.3 thousand, up 34.4% over the same period last year. Visitors from Europe were estimated at 873.4 thousand, increasing by 23.7% over the same period last year. Visitors from the Americas reached 370.1 thousand people, up 11.1% over the same period last year.

+ International visitors to Vietnam

Social issues

Farmers’ food shortage

In the first five months of 2017, there were 139.7 thousand times of hunger households, decreasing 25.8% compared to the same period of last year, equivalent to 574 thousand hunger members, down 24.9%. To overcome hunger, at the beginning of the year, levels, branches and organizations from the central to local levels have provided support to hunger households with 16.2 thousand tons of food and about VND 1.1 billion.  Only in May s 2.8 thousand tons of food were supplied.

Disease, food poisoning

In the first five months of the year, there were nearly 15.2 thousand cases of foot and mouth disease in the whole country; 27.6 thousand cases of viral hemorrhagic fever (8 deaths); 184 cases of typhoid; 195 cases of viral encephalitis (5 deaths); 14 cases of meningococcal meningitis (3 deaths); 24 cases of Zika virus infection; 266 cases of pertussis (5 deaths) and 60 cases of poliomyelitis (4 cases of death).

The total number of HIV infected people living in the country as of 17/5/2017 was 217.5 thousand people, of which 89.1 thousand cases have transitioned to AIDS; The death toll from HIV / AIDS in the country to date was 91,000.

From 18/12/2016 to 17/5/2017, 44 cases of serious food poisoning occurred in the whole country, infecting 1,006 persons, of which 16 died.

Traffic accidents

In the first five months of 2017, there were 8,023 traffic accidents, including 4,055 cases of traffic accidents (from less serious and above) and 3,968 cases of traffic impacts, 3,496 deaths, 1,972 were injured and 4,616 were slightly injured. Compared to the same period last year, the number of traffic accidents in the first five months of this year decreased by 4.2% (number of less serious and above traffic accidents decreased by 2.6%; traffic impacts by 5.8%); Number of deaths decreased by 2.6%; The number of injured people decreased by 17.9% and the number slightly injured by 6.5%. Of the 4,055 cases of less serious and above traffic accident in the last 5 months, 3,943 cases (97.2%) occurred in roads, 3,405 persons were killed and 1,931 others were injured; 68 railway accidents resulted in 59 deaths and 30 injuries; 44 water and marine traffic accidents, 32 deaths and 11 injuries.

On average, one day in the first five months of the year, 53 accidents occurred in the whole country, including 27 less serious and above traffic accidents and 26 traffic crashes, killing 23 people, 13 were injured and 31 were slightly injured.

Damage caused by natural disaster

In the first five months of the year, natural disasters killed nine and wounded 16; More than 5 thousand houses collapsed, eroded, roof blown out; 5.5 thousand hectares of rice and 3.2 thousand hectares of crops were flooded and damaged. The total value of damage in 5 months is estimated at VND 248 billion.

Environmental protection, fire and explosion prevention

For the first 5 months of 2017, 7,944 cases of violations of regulations on environmental protection in the whole country have been detected, of which 6,708 cases have been handled with total penalties of over 95.6 billion dong.

In the first five months of this year, there were 2,035 fires and explosions, killing 44 persons and injuring 107 others, with an estimated loss of VND 910 billion.

GENERAL STATISTICS OFFICE

[1] In the first months of 2016 the mining decresed by 2.5%; manufacturing increased by 10%; power generation and distribution by11.9%; water supply and treatment of wastes and water waste by 8.2%.

[2] Source: National Enterprise Registration Information System, MPI.

[3] Same period in 2016, the number of enterprises registered for new establishment rose 24.1% oveer the same period last year; registered capital rose 59.3%.

[4] Average CPI in the first 4 months of 2017 rose 4.80% compared to that in 2016’ same period.